The Christmas Stories: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas; The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In; The Cricket on the Hearth. A Fairy Tale of Home; The Battle of Life. A Love Story; The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. -
Charles Dickens
1844 to 1848 - Chapman & Hall [or] Bradbury & Evans, London - Mixed first and early editions A beautifully bound five volume set of Dickens’ Christmas Stories, fine copies housed in a custom made slipcase. With illustrated title pages, full plate and in-text illustrations throughout.

‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humor and good cheer’. - David Purdue. 1. A Christmas Carol - Chapman & Hall, 1844. 9th Edition (first 1843). - With four hand-coloured steel-engraved plates, heightened with gum arabic, by and after John Leech and four wood-engraved text illustrations by W. J. Linton after John Leech. - Eckel 110. Smith II 4. 8vo. [2] [8] 166 [2 ads] [2].2. The Chimes - Chapman and Hall, 1845 . First edition, second state of vignette title, with "Chapman & Hall" centered in open letters below the names of the artist and engraver. - Wood-engraved frontispiece and added vignette title by F. P. Becker after Daniel Maclise, and 11 wood-engraved text illustrations by Groves, W. J. Linton, C. Gray, and the Dalziel Brothers, after Richard Doyle, John Leech, and Clarkson Stanfield. - Eckel 116. Smith II 5. 8vo. pp. [2] [1 ad] [7] 175 [3].3. The Cricket on the Hearth - Bradbury & Evans, 1846. First edition, second state of the advertisement leaf, with the two-line italic heading reset to three following the added heading "New Edition of Oliver Twist.". - Wood-engraved frontispiece and added vignette title by John Thompson and G. Dalziel, respectively, after Daniel Maclise, and 12 wood-engraved text illustrations by Thomas Williams, G. and E. Dalziel, J. Swain, and Groves, after Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield, John Leech, and Edwin Landseer. - Eckel 119. Smith II 6. 8vo. pp. [2] [8] 174 [2 ads] [2].4. The Battle of Life - Bradbury & Evans, 1846. First edition, fourth state of the vignette title“A Love Story” on scroll, with cupid holding it, but without publisher’s imprint at foot. - Wood-engraved frontispiece and added vignette title by John Thompson after Daniel Maclise and 11 wood-engraved text illustrations by G. and E. Dalziel, Thomas Williams, and W.T. Green, after Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield, Daniel Maclise, and John Leech. - Eckel 121-123; Smith II. 8. Todd E1. 8vo. [2] [6] 175 [1] [2 ads] [2].5. The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain. Bradbury & Evans, 1848. First Edition. - Wood-engraved frontispiece and added vignette title by Martin & Corbould after John Tenniel, and 15 wood-engraved text illustrations by Martin & Corbould, Thomas Williams, Smith & Cheltnam, and the Dalziel Brothers, after John Tenniel, Clarkson Stanfield, Frank Stone, and John Leech. - Eckel 124. Smith II 9. 8vo. pp. [2] [2 ads] [6] 188 [2].
Finely bound by Bayntun-Rivière in full crimson levant morocco, one line gilt panel on covers, spine lettered and dated in gilt with one line panels,decorative mistletoe centres and tooled bands, board edges tooled in gilt, turn-ins ruled in gilt with gilt holly corner pieces, hand marbled endleaves, all edges gilt.
Condition: Fine in fine bindings.
Ref: 105527
Price: HK$ 35,000